BEST-CASE SCENARIO

No element of Miller’s profile in his six seasons at Dayton drew more attention when he was hired than his defensive success.

The Flyers went from 160th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Ken Pomeroy, in Miller’s first season, to 30th in his fourth, and 15th the year after that. Can that take hold even more quickly in Bloomington, where Indiana allowed more points per possession in Big Ten play than any other team in the league last year?

Best-case scenario? Defense and ball security lead the Hoosiers to a 20-plus-win season, and Miller to the NCAA tournament in his first year in charge.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO

IU still lost three of its top-four scorers from a season ago. There is no easy replacement for any of James Blackmon Jr., Thomas Bryant or OG Anunoby.

The Hoosiers really need that defensive improvement, because while the offense might not be as bad as some fans fear, it almost certainly won’t measure up to what it was last year.

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De'Ron Davis stayed in Bloomington this summer to get ready for his sophomore campaign.(Photo: Robert Scheer/IndyStar)

Worst-case scenario? Indiana still struggles to defend well and falls back on bad habits. The Hoosiers get battered by a rough-and-tumble nonconference schedule, arrive to Big Ten play struggling and finish the season below .500.

BREAKOUT PLAYER

Miller doesn’t seem set on pushing anyone quite so much as sophomore forward De’Ron Davis, having spoken since the spring about the 6-10 forward’s potential.

Answering that challenge, Davis spent most of the summer in Bloomington, working out at team facilities. As a result, he’s lighter, trimmer and fitter. Is he ready to carry on Indiana’s recent legacy in the post?

A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE

It’s brutal.

The Hoosiers go to preseason-ranked Seton Hall within a week of the start of the season. They host Duke at the end of November, just days before opening Big Ten play with Michigan away and Iowa at home in the space of three days.

Louisville in Louisville and Notre Dame in Indianapolis come next. And the conference slate will be even more condensed after the new year, because the conference tournament is moved up a week to accommodate shifting it to New York.

If Miller’s Hoosiers come out of this season with an NCAA tournament berth, they will have earned it.

UNSUNG HERO

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Collin Hartman is back for a fifth year for the Hoosiers.(Photo: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar)

It’s strange to consider fifth-year forward Collin Hartman an unsung hero, given Indiana missed him dearly last year. But it’s also easy to forget how much Hartman impacts a game. He can knock down 3s, defend and play multiple positions, rebound the ball and pass it effectively. He’s also probably this team’s best leader.

Miller hasn’t seemed quite as hands off with any of his players as he has Hartman. He knows what he has in the Cathedral alum. If Hartman stays healthy, he’ll be a big boost for this team, in the locker room and on the court.